March 18th, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BEYOND THE HIJAB
Tempe, AZ Project Humanities is partnering with the Center for the Study of Religion
and Conflict at Arizona State University to host Beyond the Hijab: Pakistani Womens
Perspectives. The event will be held on Thursday, March 26th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in
West Hall room 135 on Arizona State Universitys Tempe campus. Streaming video will
be available at http://www.ustream.tv/asutv during the program.
A second installation in the Dispelling the Myths Series, the dialogue will bring to light
(mis)conceptions about Pakistani culture through five distinct voices who demonstrate
both commonalities and contrasting experiences, revealing a multi-dimensional
viewpoint into an often misunderstood society.
As visiting fellows at ASU this semester, Tehreem Arsian Aurakzai, Zahra Hamdani,
Kanza Javed, Mahwish Khan, and Aisha Usman will be discussing their introduction to
American culture and focusing on dispelling the preconceived notions of Pakistani
women. The five panelists are at ASU as members of a faculty exchange project between
ASU and Kinnaird College for Women that is funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Many of our preconceptions stem from the media and how middle-eastern women are
portrayed through these mediums. Media tends to focus on extreme cases where women
are the victims of extreme violence, says Carolyn Forbes, Assistant Director for the
Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, and co-moderator for the evening. This
distorts our perception in thinking that violence happens to all women in Pakistan instead
of realizing that everyday life in Pakistan is like everyday life in most places.
Foundation Professor of English and Director of Project Humanities, Neal Lester will
also help moderate the discussion. Having these faculty members here to share some of
their experiences will be a wonderful opportunity for all attendees to recognize, that even
in acknowledging cultural differences, we all have a profoundly common humanity, says
Lester. Both Lester and Forbes, along with Deborah Clark and Yasmia Saikia are part of
the three-year partnership funded by the US Embassy.
For more information on ASUs partnership with Kinnaird College, please visit
https://asunews.asu.edu/20131114-grant-asu-pakistan-college.
To see footage from Project Humanities visit to Pakistan, please visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAnTSQZ5AH8
To reserve your seat, register at https://csrc.asu.edu/index.php?q=forms/event-rsvp.

Dispelling the Myths Series

In an effort to broaden audience perspectives, Project Humanities has partnered with
various ASU units to present discussions that examine realities behind preconceived
notions while showing the interconnectedness of humanities within and across disciplines
and creating positive change in communities across political, socioeconomic, geographic,
and cultural boundaries.
March 2 Dispelling the Myths of the Beauty Queen
March 26 Beyond the Hijab: Pakistani Womens Perspectives (in partnership with the
Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict)
April 9 The Stigma Project: breaking Down Myths about HIV/AIDS (in partnership
with the Rainbow Coalition)
About Project Humanities
ASU Project Humanities strives to be a leader in local, national, and international
conversations about the breadth, depth, and value of humanities study and understanding
across disciplines. Project Humanities, an award-winning university initiative, seeks to
connect all four ASU campuses and local communities in talking, listening, and
connecting. The group further seeks to establish and lead multidisciplinary research
opportunities and to engage local, national, and international communities in humanities
discussions.
About The Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict
The Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Arizona State University promotes
interdisciplinary research and education on the dynamics of religion and conflict with the
aim of advancing knowledge, seeking solutions and informing policy. By serving as a
research hub that fosters exchange and collaboration across the university as well as with
its broader publicslocal, national, and globalthe Center fosters innovative and
engaged thinking on matters of enormous importance to us all.